Brominated diphenoxyethane is a commercial fire retardant. In its commercial form it is mainly either 1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane or 1,2-bis(pentabromophenoxy)ethane. In the prior art these compounds have been made by the reaction of a brominated phenol (e.g. 2,4,6-tribromophenol) with a halogenated alkane (e.g. 1,2-dichloroethane) at an elevated temperature in the presence of a base (e.g. potassium hydroxide) Anderson U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,538.
Methods of brominating other aromatic compounds have been described in the prior art. Typical procedures are set forth in Stepniczka U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,965,197; Garman et al. 4,287,373; Ayres 4,327,227; Nagy et al. 3,752,856; Britton et al. 2,022,634: and Bzaokenridge 3,833,674.